Biblically Speaking
Becoming a Discerning Leader
Responding to a deep sense of calling by God
By John C. Reynolds
This article was excerpted with permission from John Reynolds's chapter in CLA's new book Nonprofit Leadership in a For-Profit World: Essential Insights from 15 Christian Executives (Standard Publishing, 2011).
In my 30 years of working in Christian organizations, primarily World Vision and for the last decade at Azusa Pacific University, I have made a significant part of my career the equipping of emerging leaders. Through professional workshops, mentoring, or executive coaching, the most common but insightful question has been, "What makes a Christian leader different from any other successful organizational leader?"
Leaders in Christian organizations and ministry are different from general leaders. I have spent much time in study and reflection trying to understand whether this distinctive of being a Christian can be qualified, quantified, and even replicated. While I have not found the formula, the good news is that as I serve with and coach emerging Christian leaders, there are common, significant attributes evident in the lives of those Christian leaders making a difference for the kingdom.
Many attributes are fundamental to successful leadership - such as being a visionary, a good communicator, optimistic, self-assured, encouraging, and empowering - and these attributes generally are visible in many successful leaders, both Christian and secular.
What fuels this commitment to dependence on God and to a focused mission is that the Christian leader is called - called to make a difference. These leaders have discerned who God is calling them to be, and to what end their leadership contribution will serve in building the Lord's kingdom here on earth.
In the Christian community, the word discern has great scriptural value and depth. Discernment communicates maturity, experience, and wisdom. In studying Scripture, we often equate discernment with godly judgment, so that even in the most humble sense, being discerning positions us as God's earthly proxy in matters of critical decision making. The basic meaning of to discern is "to separate," "to make a distinction," or "to differentiate." Thus, discernment is the ability to examine, test, try, judge, or prove something with the result of separating, or distinguishing, the good from the bad. Many times in my experience, however, this means discerning the good from the better or the best!
From a community perspective, discernment communicates a sense of calling. For example, in health, child welfare, and education sectors, much is written about discernment. Some might see these vocational professions as ones to which they are called - often with personal sacrifice. The discerning Christ-centered leader might be described in this way: a leader who is called, manifesting a character of maturity and wisdom, whose first interest is in the people who follow him or her. Does that describe you? Is that your personal leadership desire?
The discerning leader is called to lead, not necessarily by title or organizational position but by a deep sense of calling from God. Consider for example the call of God to Jeremiah: "Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you" (Jer. 1:5). The call of Paul, Peter, and many other biblical leaders could be cited.
Three essential attributes define a discerning leader - calling, character, and consequences. These might help answer a question you may still be wrestling with: How then are Christian leaders different? Or more personally, how are you different as a Christian leader?
Discerning leaders have a calling from God to lead. This calling encourages self-awareness and an intentional evaluation of who they are as individuals - including an understanding of their own strengths, talents, and gifts. The calling molds character, influences how they manifest this character, and guides how they behave as discerning leaders.
The calling and character of the discerning leader will result in discerning leadership, which is easily identified by the consequences: a growing number of followers. My mother had a saying: "The proof of the good pudding is in the eating." The proof of discerning leadership is that when a leader looks in the "rearview mirror," he sees visible followers.
John C. Reynolds is executive vice president of Azusa Pacific University, CEO of Azusa Pacific Online University, and board chairman for Christian Leadership Alliance. In addition to his years of experience in higher education, Reynolds has served as global CIO for World Vision International. He has consulted, coached, and advised NGO leaders in more than 40 countries, and is a member of several boards of directors, both nationally and internationally.
